Transparent plastic materials, e.g., high molecular weight organic polymers, have been widely used in a variety of optical and glazing applications. Polycarbonate sheets are popular for use in such applications due to their formability, high transparency, and high impact resistance. Polycarbonate polymers can be represented by the general chemical structure shown in Formula (I).

Due to its aromatic moieties, polycarbonates and other plastics having aromatic moieties are susceptible to weathering, which is the degradation of the polymer from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. To improve the service life, and hence, weatherability of these plastics, a coating containing a UV-absorber may be applied to the plastic. Major classes of UV absorbers include, but are not limited to, the following three chemical groups: 1) 2-hydroxy-benzophenones (BPs), 2) 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzotriazoles (HPBTs), and 3) 2-hydroxyphenyl-s-triazines (HPTs).
Certain transparent plastic materials, such as polycarbonates, are soft and tend to scratch or mar quite easily. Scratching or marring results in impaired visibility and poor aesthetics, and often may require the replacement of the transparent plastic. To prevent such scratching or marring, the plastic can be coated with an abrasion resistant coating as a protective coat over the material. Coatings that are “harder” or have a “firmer” surface provide more resistance to abrasion than “soft” or “tacky” coatings.
Certain transparent plastic materials, such as polycarbonate polymers, are formable. Formable materials are those in which the starting material is made pliable in some manner, and is then formed (shaped) and set into a desired, finished shape. Thermoforming is one type of forming process that may be used on formable materials. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. More specifically, the sheet, or “film” when referring to thinner gauges and certain material types, is heated in an oven to a sufficiently high temperature that it can be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape. In many glazing and optical applications, it may be beneficial or even necessary to apply an abrasion resistant or weatherable coating to the transparent plastic material prior to forming the plastic into the finished shape. However, not all such weatherable and abrasion resistant coatings are compatible with the forming processes, such as thermoforming, because the coatings may crack or craze when the underlying transparent plastic substrate is subjected to changes in shape.